Stuffed Zucchini (Yes Zucchini)

I know, here goes Lisa with more zucchini recipes!  At least I'm not standing at your door with a paper sack full of them, begging you once again to take it off my hands. Stuffed zucchini (or squash) can stand alone with a nice salad and bread.  (gluten free bread I hope) This recipe is great for those days you don't want to pick the garden and you leave the normal sized zucchini out there too long and they become Biblical in size.

 Here is what you will need: 

2 LARGE zucchini, 1 lb hamburger meat, 2 cloves garlic, salt and pepper to taste, 3 Tablespoons sandwich spread, 1/2 cups red and green bell pepper, 3 green onions, 1 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, preheat oven to 350

Cut out the inside of your zucchini or squash, not much, just the seeded areas.  Discard or save it.  (I throw it out because I have an abundance of it)

Brown and drain your meat, add your remaining vegetables and salt and pepper to taste

Some stuffed zucchini recipes call for pesto but this is easier to find and just as good. Add 3 Tablespoons to mixture and if you desire more just know it will hurt my feelings that you strayed from my instructions.

Place foil in the bottom of a pan and put your hulled out veggies on top.  Now fill your zucchini, or squash, with the cooked mixture and top with cheese. Add 1/2 cup of water in the bottom of the pan and cover with foil.  Place in a preheated oven for 20-30 minutes.  The water will help steam the vegetables and keep the cheese from browning. 

Easy fresh corn and squash dish

I always have a garden.  I have had one now for 17 years and I love it!  (at first anyway)  Yet, I must confess toward the end of summer, after I have made every squash and zucchini dish known to man,  if I am out spraying weeds I MIGHT (or MIGHT NOT) accidentally hit the squash and zucchini plants with roundup.   I mean when your neighbors won't even answer their doors for fear it is you with more zucchini it's time to give it up! But after all of these years, I found a dish I love.  When it is easy, fresh, healthy, gluten free and uses some of your garden how can you go wrong?

Here is what you will need:  4 ears of corn, 2 zucchini, 1/4 cup red and green bell pepper, salt and pepper to taste.  Garlic and jalapeno if desired.

Take 4 ears of corn and shuck those little things!  It's so fun to do and relaxing right?  (sarcasm)

Cut the corn off of the cob and place it in a skillet with your other vegetables

I used red and green bell peppers from my garden, about 1/4 cup each finely chopped.  I also added seeded jalapenos from my garden but you don't have to do that.  Finally I put in big chunks of my zucchini, about 2.  Then add 1/4 cup of water and cover until zucchini is soft.  It is a beautiful dish and goes well with any meat grilled or otherwise.

  

Gluten Free Zucchini Lasagna

This Lasagna is really tasty and you can hardly tell it is not made with pasta.  The trick is the zucchini!  It is basically a tasteless veggie and takes on the flavor of what you cook it with, (like tofu but better!)  The only problem with this vegetable, is it creates a TON of water when cooked.  But its hardly a reason to NOT make this recipe!

Here is what you will need:  4 zucchini, 1 lb LEAN beef, 3 garlic cloves chopped, 1/2 purple onion diced, 1 T. olive oil, salt and pepper, 2 T. fresh basil chopped, 15 oz skim ricotta, 16 oz mozzarella cheese shredded, 1/4 cup Parmigiano, 1 egg slightly beaten, 1 28oz jar of Prego spaghetti sauce (or sauce of your choice)and 4 oz of fresh mozzarella for the top :)

First, things first.  Peel your zucchini, and then thinly slice it long ways to substitute for you pasta. I am not big on kitchen gadgets, and do not have a mandolin for slicing; so I cut them with my knife like my grandmother would have!  They were perfect. 

I think young cooks tend to over season their meals, masking the natural tastes. You cannot go wrong with a nice freshly ground pepper, sea salt and a few fresh leaves. 

After you get your zucchini sliced, lay it out on a non stick cookie sheet, lightly salt, and put it in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.  It will help with some of the water later on as it cooks in your lasagna.  

While your zucchini is in the oven, brown your hamburger meat, drain, and add salt and pepper and set aside.  In the same pan, add olive oil on a medium heat to saute your garlic and onion for about 2 minutes.  Add your drained meat back to the pan with the garlic and onion along with your Prego sauce. You may not want to add the whole jar because you want it to be thick.  Simmer to heat throughout.  Take out your zucchini if you have not already;  and lay it out on a nice clean kitchen towel to soak up any water.  

While your sauce is simmering, grate your fresh cheese and set aside.  I just spent 2 weeks in Italy and their mozzarella is the BEST. But this brand is made in Wisconsin and I find it to be very similar. In the grocery store your fresh cheeses are not going to be with the pre-shredded bags but in or near your deli. 

In a bowl mix your ricotta, basil, salt and pepper to taste, egg, parmesan, only 10 oz of shredded cheese (not fresh), & mix together well.  So: you have your meat mixture in your pan, your zucchini on a towel, your bowl of cheeses, and your fresh mozzarella plus 6 oz of pre-shredded cheese.  Now to layer for some yumminess.  (yes it's a word) 

1.  Lay down a layer of zucchini
2.  Top with meat sauce mixture
3. Top sauce with cheese mixture and repeat 
4.  If you have a large pan you may only get one layer, no problem! 
If not, repeat 1-3
5.  Last, top with all of your fresh mozzarella plus the 6oz of pre-shredded mozzarella

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes COVERED with a pan underneath for spillage.  Then bump heat up to 375 degrees, remove cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes.    

Yummy in the oven, don't forget to cover...

Looks so good right?  Well let me give you a hint...take it out and use a spoon around the edges to scoop off some water.  And when I say some, I mean 87 cups!  (remember the name of my blog?....sarcasm) I even cut a piece out, tilted the pan and let it run to the open spot before serving. It  has to cool before serving anyway, so you have time.

I cannot tell you how much my family loved this recipe.  They never noticed the zucchini in place of the pasta until a few bites in because I'm tricky!  I served it with a nice spinach salad and vinaigrette dressing. I even made a loaf of gluten free bread we could have eaten, but they didn't ask and I forgot.  It stood alone well!

Zucchini Cakes

This is super easy so here it goes!  Grate up one large zucchini and really pat out the water in it or it will not stick together to form your cakes.  After it is good and dry add one cup of freshly, grated Parmesan cheese.

Then add 1 cup of bread crumbs,

Each of these, to your particular taste:  salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder

Add two beaten eggs, then mix it together and make 'cakes' out of the mixture.  I made a ball a little smaller than the size of my palm and placed it in a hot pan with  two Tablespoons of olive oil and mashed it flat.  Cook on each side until brown and then turn to low and let simmer in the pan so that the cheese melts and the zucchini softens.

 

These little puppies were fabulous!  I served them with baked chicken, corn on the cob, and fresh tomatoes from my garden.  It was such a tasty dish and I think it is because it is so simple and the flavors are not overwhelmed.  

Note of Sarcasm:  It's so awesome to have no left overs when you cook something so tasty!

Zucchini Sticks with Jalapeno Ranch Dip

We have a garden and I go crazy trying to figure out what to do with all of the zucchini we have!  So, this is a great, low fat appetizer!  

Well, they are low fat until you drench them in the the Jalapeno Ranch Dip

Ingredients:  1 large zucchini,  1 cup 2% milk,  bread crumbs (we like Italian on occasion),  bottle of ranch dressing,  2-3 fresh jalapenos, 1 lime,  fresh cilantro 

Instructions:  cut zucchini into sticks, soak in milk and place bread crumbs in a grocery sack and shake zucchini in crumbs until coated. Spray a cookie sheet and place in oven at 400 degrees until tender and golden brown.  I'm not going to say how long because it depends on how thick you cut them.

Now, for the dip.  They make this at my favorite Austin restaurant, Chuy's, and many have tried to copy it.  You will have ingredients for things such as mayo, sour cream, buttermilk, garlic ect...I have tried them all and here is my version.  I am going on the 'less is more' theory. 

For every cup of ranch dressing you use, use 1 jalapeno and blend in your blender until smooth.  I cut a little cilantro and place it in a small amount at a time because once you get too much---there is no going back!  Then I scrape it out with my spatula and add lime juice and salt to taste.  

For mild dip I de-seed all of the jalapenos

For a medium dip I de-seed half of the jalapenos

For a hot dip I DON'T de-seed any of the jalapenos 

For "I just killed all my taste buds" I add extra jalapenos

On occasion for a cup of the dip I have added a half of an avacado for a greener, and creamier dip.  I don't think it changes the taste much at all.

Sarcasm Note:  If you make this dip, you probably won't want to make it again.  Not so good, call me and I'll come pick it up.